Tarzan is the son of a British Lord and Lady who were marooned on the West
coast of Africa by mutineers. When Tarzan was a year old, his mother died
of natural causes, and his father was killed by Kerchak, leader of the
ape tribe into which Tarzan was adopted. Tarzan's tribe of apes is known
as the Mangani, Great Apes of a species unknown to science. Kala is his
ape mother. Tarzan (White-skin) is his ape name; his English name is John
Clayton, Lord Greystoke (the formal title is Viscount Greystoke according
to Burroughs in Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle; Earl of Greystoke in later,
non-canonical sources, notably the 1984 movie Greystoke). In fact, Burroughs,
as narrator of Tarzan of the Apes, describes both Clayton and Greystoke
as fictitious names – implying that, within the fictional world that Tarzan
inhabits, he may have a different real name.

As a young adult, Tarzan meets a young American woman, Jane Porter,
who along with her father and others of their party is marooned at exactly
the same spot on the African coast where Tarzan's parents were twenty years
earlier. When she returns to America, he leaves the jungle in search of
her, his one true love. In later books, Tarzan and Jane marry and he lives
with her for a time in England. They have one son, Jack, who takes the
ape name Korak ("the Killer"). Tarzan is contemptuous of the hypocrisy
of civilization, and he and Jane return to Africa, making their home on
an extensive estate that becomes a base for Tarzan's later adventures.

In Tarzan, Burroughs created an extreme example of a hero figure largely
unalloyed with character flaws or faults. He is described as being Caucasian,
extremely athletic, tall, handsome, and tanned, with grey eyes and black
hair. Emotionally, he is courageous, loyal and steady. He is intelligent
and learns new languages easily. He is presented as behaving ethically,
at least by Burroughs' definitions, in most situations, except when seeking
vengeance under the motivation of grief, as when his ape mother Kala is
killed in Tarzan of the Apes, or when he believes Jane has been murdered
in Tarzan the Untamed. He is deeply in love with his wife and totally devoted
to her; in numerous situations where other women express their attraction
to him, Tarzan politely but firmly declines their attentions. When presented
with a situation where a weaker individual or party is being preyed upon
by a stronger foe, Tarzan invariably takes the side of the weaker party.
In dealing with other men Tarzan is firm and forceful. With male friends
he is reserved but deeply loyal and generous. As a host he is likewise
generous and gracious. As a leader he commands devoted loyalty.

In contrast to these noble characteristics, Tarzan's philosophy embraces
an extreme form of "return to nature". Although he is able to pass within
society as a civilized individual, he prefers to "strip off the thin veneer
of civilization", as Burroughs often puts it.[6] His preferred dress is
a knife and a loincloth of animal hide, his preferred abode is a convenient
tree branch which happens to be nearby when he desires to sleep, and his
favored food is raw meat, killed by himself; even better if he is able
to bury it a week so that putrefaction has had a chance to tenderize it
a bit.

Tarzan's primitivist philosophy was absorbed by countless fans, amongst
whom was Jane Goodall, who describes the Tarzan series as having a major
influence on her childhood. She states that she felt she would be a much
better spouse for Tarzan than his fictional wife, Jane, and that when she
first began to live among and study the chimpanzees she was fulfilling
her childhood dream of living among the great apes just as Tarzan did.

Tarzan of the Apes

The novel tells the story of John Clayton, born in the western coastal
jungles of equatorial Africa to a marooned couple from England, John and
Alice (Rutherford) Clayton, Lord and Lady Greystoke. Adopted as an infant
by the she-ape Kala after his parents died (his father is killed by the
savage king ape Kerchak), Clayton is named "Tarzan" ("White Skin" in the
ape language) and raised in ignorance of his human heritage.

Feeling alienated from his peers due to their physical differences,
he discovers his true parents' cabin, where he first learns of others like
himself in their books, with which he eventually teaches himself to read.

On his return from one visit to the cabin, he is attacked by a huge
gorilla which he manages to kill with his father's knife, although he is
terribly wounded in the struggle. As he grows up, Tarzan becomes a skilled
hunter, gradually arousing the jealousy of Kerchak, the ape leader.

Later, a tribe of black Africans settles in the area, and Kala is killed
by one of its hunters. Avenging himself on the killer, Tarzan begins an
antagonistic relationship with the tribe, raiding its village for weapons
and practicing cruel pranks on them. They, in turn, regard him as an evil
spirit and attempt to placate him.

The twelve short stories Burroughs wrote later and collected as Jungle
Tales of Tarzan occur in the period immediately following the arrival
of the natives, the killing of Kala, and Tarzan's vengeance. Finally Tarzan
has amassed so much credit among the apes of the tribe that the envious
Kerchak at last attacks him. In the ensuing battle Tarzan kills Kerchak
and takes his place as "king" of the apes. Subsequently, a new party of
whites is marooned on the coast, including Jane Porter, the first white
woman Tarzan has ever seen. Tarzan's cousin, William Cecil Clayton, unwitting
usurper of the ape man's ancestral English estate, is also among the party.
Tarzan spies on the newcomers, aids them, and saves Jane from the perils
of the jungle. Absent when they are rescued, he is introduced further into
the mysteries of civilization by French Naval Officer Paul D'Arnot, whom
he saves from the natives. D'Arnot teaches Tarzan French and how to behave
among white men, as well as serving as his guide to the nearest colonial
outposts.

Ultimately, Tarzan travels to Jane's native Baltimore, Maryland only
to find that she is now in the woods of Wisconsin. Tarzan finally meets
Jane in Wisconsin where they renew their acquaintance and he learns the
bitter news that she has become engaged to William Clayton. Meanwhile,
clues from his parents' cabin have enabled D'Arnot to prove Tarzan's true
identity. Instead of claiming his inheritance, Tarzan chooses rather to
conceal and renounce his heritage for the sake of Jane's happiness.

THE BEGINNINGA page from that first-ever Tarzan story, written in Edgar Rice Burroughs'
own hand.
You'll see that ERB originally christened his jungle character "Zantar,"
then "Tublat Zan," then, finally, "Tarzan"!
Note that "Bloomstoke" became "Greystoke."
click for larger images

The story's title page shows that ERB submitted his work under the pseudonym
"Normal Bean."
But when the story was printed in "The All-Story Magazine," October
1912,
a transcription error transformed Burroughs' pen name into "Norman
Bean."

Deep in the savage African jungle, the baby Tarzan was raised
by a fierce she-ape of the tribe of Kerchak. There he had to learn the
secrets of the wild to survive—how to talk with animals, swing through
the trees, and fight against the great predators. He grew to the strength
and courage of his fellow apes. And in time, his human intelligence promised
him the kingship of the tribe. He became truly Lord of the Jungle. Then
men entered his jungle, bringing with them the wanton savagery of civilized
greed and lust—and bringing also the first white woman Tarzan had
ever seen. Now suddenly, Tarzan had to choose between two worlds.

Edgar Rice Burroughs'TARZAN OF THE APESChapters

I. Out to SeaII. The Savage HomeIII. Life and DeathIV. The ApesV. The White ApeVI. Jungle BattlesVII. The Light of KnowledgeVIII. The Tree-top HunterIX. Man and ManX. The Fear-PhantomXI. "King of the Apes"XII. Man's ReasonXIII. His Own KindXIV. At the Mercy of the JungleXV. The Forest GodXVI. "Most Remarkable"XVII. BurialsXVIII. The Jungle TollXIX. The Call of the PrimitiveXX. HeredityXXI. The Village of TortureXXII. The Search PartyXXIII. Brother MenXXIV. Lost TreasureXXV. The Outpost of the WorldXXVI. The Height of CivilizationXVII. The Giant AgainXXVIII. Conclusion

August 20, 1969
Albany, New York
Dear Rev. Heins:
TARZAN OF THE APES was reset in April, 1969, - the 5th printing. The
Burroughs family requested that certain material be deleted. The book contained
some material that would now be offensive to certain groups or nationalities
and they felt that this should be removed from the book. In order to do
this the book was set in a different type which accounts for the difference
in page length.
Sincerely,
Carole Showalter ~ Managing Editor
Ballantine Books
101 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 1004

A.L Burt Edition Inscribed by ERB to his Secretary,
John Shea"To John A. Shea, with best wishes from his friend
always, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzana Ranch"

Interior Art GalleryThere was no interior art in the original McClurg first edition.Featured here four Esteban Maroto interiors from the 1988 Avenal
omnibus editionFeatured in ERBzine
0483a is art from a Japanese book put out by
Shogakukam publishers.This profusely illustrated book from the Tom
Lindgren Collectionhas a slip jacket cover which inserts into
a protective box cover housing.See
Tarzan of the Apes Pt. IIRead
the entire novel online in the e-Text edition